Madera County, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Madera County's published Animal Services pages focus on domestic animals and livestock and do not advertise a stand-alone County wildlife-feeding ordinance for the unincorporated areas. However, much of Madera County lies in Sierra foothill and mountain country (communities like Oakhurst, Coarsegold, Bass Lake, and the Yosemite gateway), where feeding wildlife creates real public-safety problems and is addressed by California state law rather than a unique local rule. Under the state Fish and Game Code and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) regulations, it is unlawful to intentionally feed big game animals such as deer and bears, and feeding that habituates predators like coyotes or mountain lions is strongly discouraged because it leads to dangerous human-wildlife conflicts. Habituated bears and other animals that become a nuisance after being fed often end up having to be removed or euthanized, so "a fed bear is a dead bear" is the operating principle wildlife agencies emphasize. Residents are advised to secure garbage, pet food, and bird feeders, especially in bear country. For sick, injured, or aggressive wildlife encounters, residents should contact the appropriate wildlife authorities; Madera County Animal Services primarily handles domestic-animal issues. If you want to confirm whether any local nuisance rule applies to a specific feeding situation, check with Madera County, but the binding prohibitions on feeding big game and predators come from California state wildlife law.